The present invention relates to an aircraft and a luggage handling system. The invention relates in particular, but not exclusively, to an aircraft having an integrated luggage handling system, for example, in the cargo hold of the aircraft, and more particularly to the automation of such a luggage handling system.
Passenger aircraft are equipped to carry luggage belonging to passengers travelling on the aircraft, in addition to other packages being carried as freight. The luggage is generally carried in a cargo hold of the aircraft typically located beneath the floor of the passenger cabin. The cargo hold is typically a separate area of the aircraft, to which, in conventional designs, passengers do not have access.
In the conventional manner of operating aircraft, passengers check-in and deposit their luggage at a check-in desk located in the airport from which they are departing. Luggage is transported from the check-in desks to the required aircraft by airport systems and staff, and then loaded into the cargo hold of the aircraft by luggage handling staff. When an aircraft arrives at a destination the luggage is off-loaded by luggage handling staff and transported to a luggage collection hall, from where passengers can collect their luggage.
Airports have a number of check-in desks and many aircraft may be departing and arriving at any given time. It is therefore necessary to identify each item of luggage and route it between the check-in desk and the correct aircraft. Also, luggage must be routed from the arriving aircraft to an appropriate luggage collection hall. The transport of luggage to and from aircraft may be a complex, expensive, time-consuming and labour intensive task.
In order to avoid the inadvertent carriage of dangerous goods, for example explosive devices, only luggage belonging to passengers who actually board an aircraft can be carried. It is common for passengers not to arrive at their aircraft on time for their flight, but since their luggage may have already been loaded onto the aircraft, the flight cannot depart until either the luggage is off-loaded or the passenger arrives. This can cause significant delays to the departure of the flight, thereby reducing customer satisfaction, and increasing an airlines cost due to schedule disruption.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved system of embarking passengers and luggage onto a passenger aircraft that enables loading of luggage without the need for complex airport systems and/or that removes the possibility of luggage being loaded onto an aircraft without its owner boarding the aircraft.
Alternatively, or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide a luggage handling system and/or a method of operating an aircraft, which mitigate or remove the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art methods of operating aircraft.